Does Public Service Motivation provide a guide for managers?

Public Service Motivation (PSM) has attracted substantial academic interest. Thousands of questionnaires have been administered in many countries to examine and compare the motivation of public servants. After a brief introduction to PSM, this paper critically examines the management advice that has been offered by PSM advocates. The conclusion is that much of the advice seems sound, but it does not rely on the existence of PSM. However, in the area where PSM is central to the advice, that advice is more problematic. This paper appears in the ANZSOG/State Services Commission Occasional Paper series

Which reform is most important? - some evidence from New Zealand

In public administration circles there are two widely accepted stylised facts about New Zealand. First, New Zealand implemented sweeping public sector reforms and was at the forefront of the New Public Management movement. Second, New Zealand scores very well on several international league tables measuring the quality of government. This paper considers possible connections between these stylised facts by looking at reforms of financial management, institutional structures, information management and appointment processes in New Zealand. Recent data from the government-commissioned “Kiwis Count” surveys is used to identify which aspects of government performance are most important to New Zealanders. It seems that though most commentators have focused on finance and institutional reforms, earlier reforms involving open information, non-political appointments and public accountability are more significant to New Zealanders. Image: Flickr / Stuck in custom

From the outside looking in: limits to partnerships

Partnerships between the government and community groups are advocated by many academics and practitioners, but few have examined the limits to partnerships. A simple theory of government (involving the efforts of “reasonable people” in an “ideal state”) is used to explore the issues in creating sustainable partnerships. A graphical presentation is used to demonstrate that successful partnerships rely on more than good management; their success also depends on their effects on the rest of the polity, and the response to those effects. Three conditions for sustainable partnerships are derived: benefit, support and acceptability. Attention to good network management, political risks and sound public administration can improve the prospects for a successful and sustainable partnership, but eventually there are limits to partnerships. This paper has been produced as part of a program at the Institute of Governance and Policy at Victoria University of Wellington and is supported by a grant from the research program of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government

Partnering and the ideal state : limits to collaboration

Networks, collaboration and partnerships between the government and community groups offer prospects for stronger governance and improved public value. Many authors have reported on processes that enhance the prospects for successful collaborations, especially in handling intractable issues, but few have examined the limits to partnerships. A simple theory of government (involving the efforts of"reasonable people") is devised to explore the issues in creating sustainable partnerships. A graphical presentation is used to demonstrate that successful partnerships rely on more than good management; their success also depends on their effects on the rest of the polity, and the response to those effects. These processes limit the potential for partnerships to offer a general solution to problems of governance. Three conditions for sustainable partnerships are derived; benefit, support and acceptability. Attention to good network management, political risks and sound public administration can improve the prospects for a successful and sustainable partnership, but eventually (like other forms of human endeavour) there are limits to partnerships

Partnering and the ideal state : limits to collaboration

Networks, collaboration and partnerships between the government and community groups offer prospects for stronger governance and improved public value. Many authors have reported on processes that enhance the prospects for successful collaborations, especially in handling intractable issues, but few have examined the limits to partnerships. A simple theory of government (involving the efforts of"reasonable people") is devised to explore the issues in creating sustainable partnerships. A graphical presentation is used to demonstrate that successful partnerships rely on more than good management; their success also depends on their effects on the rest of the polity, and the response to those effects. These processes limit the potential for partnerships to offer a general solution to problems of governance. Three conditions for sustainable partnerships are derived; benefit, support and acceptability. Attention to good network management, political risks and sound public administration can improve the prospects for a successful and sustainable partnership, but eventually (like other forms of human endeavour) there are limits to partnerships

With Respect: Parliamentarians, officials, and judges too

An insider's analysis of the relationship between parliamentarians and public servants. (Judges are there too; it turns out there are more than two parties in the relationship between officials and politicians.) Constitutional issues are covered, but the text focuses more on the pressures on people as they work in different parts of government

Archaeobotany in Australia and New Guinea: practice, potential and prospects

Archaeobotany is the study of plant remains from archaeological contexts. Despite Australasian research being at the forefront of several methodological innovations over the last three decades, archaebotany is now a relatively peripheral concern to most archaeological projects in Australia and New Guinea. In this paper, many practicing archaeobotanists working in these regions argue for a more central role for archaeobotany in standard archaeological practice. An overview of archaeobotanical techniques and applications is presented, the potential for archaeobotany to address key historical research questions is indicated, and initiatives designed to promote archaeobotany and improve current practices are outlined

Archaeobotany in Australia and New Guinea: practice, potential and prospects

Archaeobotany is the study of plant remains from archaeological contexts. Despite Australasian research being at the forefront of several methodological innovations over the last three decades, archaebotany is now a relatively peripheral concern to most archaeological projects in Australia and New Guinea. In this paper, many practicing archaeobotanists working in these regions argue for a more central role for archaeobotany in standard archaeological practice. An overview of archaeobotanical techniques and applications is presented, the potential for archaeobotany to address key historical research questions is indicated, and initiatives designed to promote archaeobotany and improve current practices are outlined

A response to Kerry McDonald from Mark Prebble, State Services Commissioner

Kerry McDonald’s article may be reduced to two basic propositions. First, all is not well in the state sector, and, although there are many shining examples of good performance, there is a need for more system-wide improvement. I agree with that. Second, there has been a lack of any progress in state sector improvement since the 1980s. I disagree with that